Debarking machine



A ril 25, 1933. A. M. KIRKWOOD DEBAR'KING MACHINE Filed July 13, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 25, 1933.

A. M. KIRKWOOD DEBARKING MACHINE Filed July 13. 1931 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 {It nnunuuuuununuum r April 1933- A. M, KIRKWOOD 1,905,387

DEBARKING MACHINE Filed July 13, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet .3

vs o Ana/H 1 lfihrba/ w l Mica.

April 25, 1933.

A; M. KIRKWOQD DEBARKING MACHINE Filed July 13, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

05% EQEEQEBEQGU April 25, 1933. A. M. KIRKWQOD DEBARKING MACHINE Filed July 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES I PATENT oFFIcE ARTHUR ML KIRKWOOD,

or 203mm), onneou nnmnxm G HACHINE Application filed. m 13,

My invention relates to debarking machines, especially adapted for removing the bark from logs of considerable size and hence weight. v

- In the debarking of such logs, one method quite generall employed is to bring the log into position or being operated upon by the debarking element and to rotate the log and at the same time move the debarking element longitudinally of the log, whereby the bark is removed from all sides of the log.

However, the machines heretofore provided for this purpose have not been satisfactory for' the reason that the means provided, if any, for ositioning the log for being operated upon y the debarking elements,

were either not strong enough to support the considerable weight of the log and consequently were frequently broken and shut down for repairs, or required so much power for their operation as to render their use impracticable. Further, such means have not een adapted for handling logs of irregular shape or which are bowed, thus requiring.

selected timber and the rejection of otherwise sound logs.

The object-of my invention is therefore to provide a debarking machine having log carrying elements especially adapted to receive a log of considerable size, and hence weight,

from the loading platform, to position the log relatively to the debarking element and to simultaneously rotate the log so that the'said debarking devices may operate upon the entire periphery of the log and finally to discharge the log from the machine when the debarkin operation is completed.

A furt er object of my invention is to provide a debarking machine provided with log 40 carrying elements, which is economical of manufacture and strong and relatively simple in construction, whereby to assure continuous and rapid operation without breakdowns or. other interruptions to the work.

A still further object of my invention to 1931. Serial 1T0. 550,530.

provide a debarking machine having log carrying elements which are independently operable for handling logs of irregular shape or which are bowed, and capable of being operated with a minimum consumption of power to handle the logs rapidly and expeditionsly with only a minimum loss of time-in bringing the log into position to be operated upon and to discharge the log when the debarking operation is completed.

It is to be noted that if the log carrying elements are not independently operable so as to follow the contour of an irregularly shaped log and support it at an points, as it rotates, that the log will tend to rotate at an irregular 60 rate and will at times tend. to twist itself off the log supporting elements. In the former instance causing the debarking element to miss a portion of the periphery of the log and hence not remove all the bark.

I attain these objects in a debarking ma chine in combination with a loading element and a debarking element, a plurality of operative log carriers, each comprising a series of sprockets, one thereof being driven, (o a pivoted lever arm carrying one of said sprockets and an endless log carrying chain running on said sprockets, said lever arm adapted to place said sprockets and the chains thereby carried in three positions, in one of which said chain is arranged to permit the log to be received from the loading element,

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows an end elevation of my debarking machine and illustrates the relative arrangement of the parts and a number of logs in position thereon;

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the same;

Figure 3 shows a side elevation of my debarking machine looking in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figure 1, with portions broken away to illustrate the debarking element in operation upon a log;

Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the log carrying elements with a log in position thereon;

Fi re 5 shows a, perspective view of one of the supplemental cross members removed from the machine, by which one section of the log carryin chain is supported;

Figure 6 s ows a perspective view of one of the lever arms removed from the machine;

Figure 7 shows a fragmentary section taken on the line 77 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 shows a fragmentary plan view of the log carrying elements illustrated separately from my machine.

Referring now to the figures: My debarking machine comprises a supporting frame a, see Figure 1, having at one side a guideway 72 upon which the log is conveyed to the machine by means of a conveyor chain 0 running over driven sprockets e. A loading platform 7 is provided at the side of the guideway b on which are provided transversely moving conveyor chains 9 mounted over sprockets it, i. The chain 9 is driven by a motor 7:. A kicker element m is provided in the guideway b, operable preferably by a steam or air cylinder 0 to move the log over onto the chains 9 of the loading platform, see Figure 1.

The other side of the loading platform 7 is inclined as at f and is provided with stop dogs g operable by a steam or air cylinder r.

By releasing the stop dog 9 the log will be permitted to roll down the incline f onto the log carrying elements. The log carrying element comprises a series of spaced, transversely arranged lever arms 2, pivoted inter mediate their ends on shaft sections 3, mounted in the frame a.

Supplementary transverse members a are provided having a concaved upper surface a see Figures 4 and 5, on each side of the lever arm 2. Sprockets .4, 5 are journaled on the frame a, the latter on stub shafts 7 and the former on a shaft 6, driven by a motor 10 through suitable connections 11.

Sprockets 13 are journaled on stub shafts 14 carried by the supplementary member a and sprockets 15 are carried by the upper ends of the lever arms 2, journaled on stub shafts 16.

Slack log carryin over the said sproc chains 20 are mounted ets, see Figure 4, and

thus a log having been positioned on said chains is held in the slack portion thereof and rotated counter-clockwise by the lengthwise movement of the chains 20 in the opposite direction.

The means for positioning the lever arms 2 so as to successively receive the log to bring it into position with the debarking element, and to finally discharge it when the debarking operation is completed are as follows:

The end of each lever arm '2 opposite to that carrying sprocket 15 is connected to a chain running over sprockets 26, 27 carried by the frame d and arranged underneath the said lever arms 2. The sprockets 27 are mounted on the shafts 27a and are driven by individual motors 28, operativcly connected thereto by suitable devices 29.

By this construction the lever arms 2 may be moved individually to accommodate irregularities and slightly bowed logs and simultaneously for positioning the log relatively to the d'ebarking elements by means of suitable master switches, not shown.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the position of the lever arms 2 for receiving the log, is shown by the broken lines 00, the second position of the lever arms 2 for bringing the log into position to be operated upon by the debarking elements is shown by the full lines and the final position for discharging the logs is shown by the broken lines y. Such movement is attained by the operation of the said chains 25 in the direction shown by the arrows and the discharging operation of the log is facilitated by the lengthwise movement of the log carrying chains 20, which tend to roll the log over the high points of the chains formed by the sprockets 13.

When the log is discharged it is received on guideway 50 similar to the guidewav 6 before described for carrying the debarked log way. I

Limit switches 30 operable by lugs 25a on the chain 25 are shown connected in the circuits 30a of the motors 28 to prevent the accidental operation of the chains too far in either direction, which might break the chains or said lever arms.

The debarking element provided comprises a rotary cutter head 40 having blades 41 which is carried by a longitudinally movable swinging frame 42 supported on a carriage 43. The carriage 43 is movable longitudinally of the log on an elevated track 44 supported on a super-structure 45. The cutter head is driven by a motor 46 carried by the said swinging frame 42 and the carriage 43 is driven on its track 44by a motor 47 mounted thereon.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood; Figure 2 shows how the logs are fed in the direction of their length along the trough b by means of the chain 0 until the log is in proper osition. The log is now moved laterally rom the trough b by the kicker element m, and the log is received on the chains g. The 6 chains move the log transversely until it strikes the stop dogs 9.

As clearly shown in Figure 1, a. number of logs may be received on the chains '9 at one time. These logs are fed one by one on to the movable bed 20, and this movement is controlled by the stop dogs g. The sprocket 15 for each chain 20 is lowered into the position :11, shown in Figure 4, when receiving a log. The stop dogs 9 are released long enough to permit one log to roll by ravity to the fixed bed 22. The dogs g stop 1; e next log from moving on to the bed until the operator so desires. The sprockets 15 are now moved upwardly into the full-line position, shown in Figure 2, and this'is accomplished by the chains 25, which swing the levers 2. The log by this movement is lifted from the fixed bed and is supported by the movable bed. Lengthwise movement is now imparted to the chains 20, and this will revolve the log in a counterclockwise direction. During the rotation of the log, the cutter head 40 removes the bark.

At the completion of this operation, the chains 25 are moved further in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 4, and the sprocket-s 15 are raised into the dotted-line position shown at 51 This will cause the log to roll off from the movable bed and on to trough. The lengthwise movement of the chains 20 aid in moving the log from the movable bed when the sprockets 15 are raised into the position shown by the dotted lines The machine is now ready for the next 0g. and the same operation is repeated.

While I have shown and described only one form of my invention, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and particularly it should be understood that the term chain used in the specification and in the claims is intended to cover equivalent elements such as flexible members, cables, ropes and rolling elements where the function called for allows of the substitution of such equivalent.

I claim:

1. In a log turner, a log supporting means comprising a chain having means for supporting a section thereof at spaced points with a slack in said section on which the log may be received, means for lowering only one of the points for allowing the log to be rolled thereover and means for imparting endwise movement to the chain.

' 2. In a log turner, a log supportin means comprising a chain having means or supthe trough 50 where it can be conveyed away by a chain running along the length of the,

porting a section thereof at spaced points with a slack in said section on which the log may be received, means for raising only one of the points whereby the log may be rolled over the other point and means for imparting endwise movement to the chain.

3. In a log turner, a log supportin means comprising a chain having means or supportmg a section thereof at spaced pomts with a'slack in said section on which the log may be received, means for raisin and lowering only one of the points for acilitatmg the loading and the discharging of the log and means for imparting endwise movement to the chain.

a. slack in the chain between two of saidsprockets and means for lowering and raising one of the latter sprockets all of the other sprockets being rotatable about fixed axes.

6. In a log turner, an endless chain having a plurality of sprockets supporting the .same with a slack in the chainbetween two of said sprockets and a lever for supporting one ofthe latter sprockets for lowering it.

7 In a log turner, an endless chain having a plurality of sprockets supporting the same with a slack in the chain' between two of said sprockets and a lever for supporting one of the latter sprockets with a second chain for raising and positively swinging the free end of the leverin either direction. 7 p 8. In a log turner, an endless chain having a plurality of sprockets supporting the same with a slack in the chain between two of said sprockets and a lever for supporting one of the latter sprockets, a second endless chain below the first chain and fastened to the free end of the lever and means for imparting endwise motion to the chain in either direction whereby the lever is operated.

, 9. In a log debarking machine, a chain having means for supporting the same at spaced points with a slack formed between the points for supporting a log, one of the points being higher than the other and a cutter mounted for acting on the log in juxtaposition to the higher point.

10. In a log debarking machine, an endless chain having means for supportingthe same at two spaced points with a slack between the points adapted to receive a log thereon, one of the points being higher than the other, means for imparting endwise movementvto the chain and a cutter active on the log in juxtaposition to the higher point.

11. In a debarking machine, in combination with'a loading and a debarking element, an endless driven log carrying chain and supporting elements therefor including a movable supporting element adapted to arrange a section of said chain consecutively in position to receive the log from said loading element, then to lift and hold the log in operative contact with the debarking element and then to discharge the log from said carrying chain.

12. In a log debarking machine, an endless 'chain, means for supporting the same so as to form a bed for a log and including one movable member, manually controlled means for moving-said movable member for varying the slack in the chain and automatic means for limiting the movement of said movable member.

13. In a log debarking machine, a plurality of endless chains, means for supporting the same in spaced and parallel relation with slack portions of the chains registering to form a bed for a log, such supporting means for each chain including a movable member, and independent means for moving the same which independent means raise and lower the slack portions of the respective chains.

14. A log debarking machine comprising a movable concave bed for the log, said bed consisting of a plurality of chains having slack portions for receiving the log, chainsupporting sprockets, one sprocket in each chain being adjustable for altering the slack i in the chain and a cutter engageable with the log at a point diametrically opposite to the adjustable sprocket.

ARTHUR M. KIRKWOOD. 

